Hispanic children bear much of the burden of asthma, the most common childhood chronic disease, according to a new report by George Washington University researchers.

The report, Changing Policy: The Elements for Improving Childhood Asthma Outcomes, found that asthma adds about 50 cents to every health care dollar spent on children with asthma compared to children without. Low income and minority children bear the heaviest burden of asthma and its consequences, including death.

Among minorities, the report found that Hispanic children with asthma have the highest expenditures for emergency room care among all children, double the ER cost of white children.

Yet, Hispanics spend less on regular office visits and medications that might keep their asthma in check.

“Too many parents are watching their children – especially those families living in African American, Hispanic and poor neighborhoods – suffer needlessly from asthma because of improper or non-existent management of their condition,” said Dr. Floyd Malveaux, Executive Director of the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN), which supported the report along with the RCHN Community Health Foundation.

Read the supplement, which hopes to change these trends, here.